Troy Graham Stolz is an Australian whistleblower and gambling reform advocate. He is currently contesting Upper Hunter Shire Council in the 2024 New South Wales local government elections.[1]
He was the head of ClubsNSW's anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism unit, until 2019.[2] He leaked an internal report that stated that 95% of registered clubs in New South Wales were non-compliant with anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism laws.[2]
ClubsNSW lawsuit
editStolz was sued by ClubsNSW, with the former employer arguing that he owed a duty of confidence, and that Stolz had used confidential documents in his consulting work after leaving ClubsNSW.[3] The charges were settled shortly after ClubsNSW's CEO was fired.[4][5]
The decision to sue Stolz was widely criticised in the press,[6] with casino mogul James Packer calling the lawsuit "ruthless [and] unethical".[7]
As part of the lawsuit, ClubsNSW obtained injunctive relief restraining Stolz from speaking about the conduct of ClubsNSW in a way that could "bring improper pressure on the respondent".[8] After an interview with YouTuber Jordan Shanks, both Stolz and Shanks were the target of criminal contempt of court proceedings for violating the restraining order, with ClubsNSW acting as a private prosecutor.[3] These charges were dropped in February 2023.[9]
Political career
editStolz ran as an independent candidate in Kogarah at the 2023 New South Wales state election, campaigning on a platform of cashless gaming reform.[10][11] His candidacy directly opposed Labor leader, Chris Minns, running for the same seat. Stolz called on the Labor leader to join in on the Liberal's plan to transition New South Wales to cashless pokies by 2028.[12] Minns expressed reticence due to potential risks of exacerbating money loss during gambling.[13] Stolz placed 4th, garnering 2,186 votes, or 4.3% of the votes.[14]
Other advocacy
editIn November 2023, Stolz joined other whistleblowers in an open letter condemning the prosecution of Australian Army whistleblower David McBride.[15]
Personal life
editStolz is currently battling Terminal Stage 4 bone cancer.[5][16]
References
edit- ^ Thompson, Rod (1 September 2024). "Hunter candidates locked in for NSW Local Government Elections". Newcastle Weekly. Archived from the original on 9 September 2024. Retrieved 10 September 2024.
Troy Graham STOLZ
- ^ a b Alexander, Harriet (2022-09-21). "'I've nothing to lose': Dying whistleblower sued by ClubsNSW". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
- ^ a b Knaus, Christopher (2022-09-02). "Friendlyjordies' Jordan Shanks and ClubsNSW whistleblower face criminal contempt proceedings". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
- ^ "ClubsNSW drops lawsuits against gaming whistleblower". PerthNow. 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
- ^ a b McGowan, Michael (2023-02-07). "ClubsNSW settles case with terminally ill whistleblower Troy Stolz". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ^ Alexander, Harriet (2023-02-10). "After a row with his wife and a night in the caravan, Troy Stolz made a tough decision". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ^ Alexander, Harriet (2022-09-30). "James Packer hits out at ClubsNSW's 'ruthless unethical behaviour'". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ^ Knaus, Christopher (2021-11-17). "ClubsNSW wins federal court order restraining whistleblower from 'intimidating' statements". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-14.
- ^ Knaus, Christopher (2023-02-16). "ClubsNSW drops contempt charges against Friendlyjordies over pokies whistleblower". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
- ^ January 12; 2023 - 6:17pm (2023-01-12), Gambling whistleblower Troy Stolz challenging Chris Minns at state election, retrieved 2023-11-08
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Gibbs, Erik (2023-01-12). "Australia's Gambling Failings Whistleblower Running for Political Seat in NSW". Casino.org. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
- ^ "Ex candidate's surprise admission on Minns". The Albany Advertiser. 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
- ^ Wang, Jessica (March 9, 2023). "NSW State Election 2023: Chris Minns, Troy Stolz face off in Kogarah candidate forum". News.com.au.
- ^ NSW Electoral Commission. "NSW STATE ELECTION RESULTS 2023". pastvtr.elections.nsw.gov.au. Retrieved 2023-11-08.
- ^ Crosswell, Sally (2023-11-07). "Whistleblowers rally before McBride trial". Proctor. Retrieved 2023-11-09.
- ^ Foote, Callum (2022-12-09). "Feds to step into Troy Stolz case after ClubsNSW hammers pokies whistleblower for four days". Michael West. Retrieved 2023-11-09.